Becoming the Eldest Son of a Commoner Family (1)
Rothsmedici.
This name, which appears to be the designation of a noble house, is strictly speaking not a family name of nobility, but rather a surname that even a commoner could possess.
According to imperial law, to become a free commoner, one needed a family surname that could prove their origin. This surname could usually be acquired by paying a certain amount of taxes.
At this point, one might wonder:
What's the difference between the name of a noble house and a common family surname?
There was a difference.
A noble house was something recognized by the highest ruling class, like the imperial family, whereas a common family surname was just a superficial name, often regarded as nothing more than a commoner's label.
"Thinking positively, at least I've avoided the worst."
Rockefeller Rothsmedici.
This was the name given to him, where a 30-year-old man from the 21st century found his consciousness transplanted. It was at least a token that afforded him the treatment of a commoner in the eyes of others.
"But still…"
Being transported into the world of a novel he had finished was one thing, but why, of all things, did he have to be reincarnated as the eldest son of a destitute household, without anything to his name? He could not fathom why he wasn't reincarnated as the protagonist destined for greatness or at least as a reckless scion of a prestigious noble family, in line with the well-known clichés of such stories.
"There's really nothing special at all."
Rockefeller had been thoroughly exploring since the moment of his possession to see if there was any hidden power within him, or anything of the sort.
But there was nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
His remembered poor physical condition remained the same, and there wasn’t even a hint of being a great mage.
"There really is nothing special at all…"
Was his background any better?
"What about Rothsmedici? I don't think I've ever heard that name while reading novels."
In this world, there were three renowned families everyone knew.
The Tepez, a family famous for their swordsmanship.
The Sinclair, known for their magic.
The Ismail, renowned for assassination.
There were also many noble families famous for their connections to the Imperial Royal Family or in other respects, but the origin of the character he possessed was just from a humble commoner's family.
"Sigh…"
The more he thought about the reality he was given, the deeper his sighs became.
The only silver lining was that the body he possessed wasn't a serf or a slave. However, looking at his crumbling home, he couldn’t tell if it was a beggar's house or a temporary shelter for refugees.
"Absolutely hopeless."
What made things even worse was that his father, who could be considered the head of the family, was bedridden, with uncertain days ahead, and the responsibility for the remaining family members fell entirely on him after his departure.
"I'm the eldest son, too. The eldest son of the family..."
Stepping out of the stifling house and forgetting his hunger, Rockefeller sighed as he felt someone approaching him.
It turned out to be Joshua Rothsmedici, his third younger brother in the family.
"Was he the third one? His name was Joshua, I think."
Since the moment he found himself in Rockefeller's body, the memories of Rockefeller's past were slowly seeping into him.
Therefore, blending in with this unfamiliar family wasn't as challenging as he had expected.
"Rockefeller hyung, father is calling for you now."
Joshua, the third child, was a young brother, twelve years old, just three years younger than him.
"Father is?"
"Yes. He's gathering all the siblings. I'll go get our second brother."
Although the man wasn't his real father, Rockefeller couldn't refuse the call of the father of the body he had taken over.
"I guess I have to go since I'm being called..."
But why am I being summoned so suddenly?
Is there a reason for it?
I don't know. Why would he call all of us brothers out of the blue?
The third son left the house in search of his second brother, who was not at home.
Rockefeller, with vague memories resurfacing, thought that the most active of his brothers, the second son, would be outside playing with friends of his age.
"He should be back soon. He must be playing nearby."
Leaving the third son behind, Rockefeller entered the shabby house to find his constantly whining six-year-old youngest sister and the most timid fourth brother in the family.
Perhaps due to hunger from not eating for days, the whining of his youngest sister was particularly grating today. Annoyed by her noise, Rockefeller inadvertently scrunched up his face and accidentally met eyes with his fourth brother.
The expression on the fourth brother's face looked even more downcast today.
Probably hungry like the youngest.
‘This really is the epitome of a beggar's house.’
Having only recently possessed this body, he could bear the hunger for now, but still, having possessed the eldest son of such a destitute household was something he couldn't yet forgive.
"Is this a way of saying just die?"
His face soured as he glanced over the chaos that was his house, fueling his anger even more.
Since his mother, who should have taken care of the household, passed away early, the already child-filled home was a complete mess. The head of the family, his father, was bedridden, with no one to look after the household.
It wasn't easy for him to step in, especially since he had been a complete stranger to this family until very recently.
Thus, the state of the house, from the moment he possessed this body, was getting worse, not better.
‘It's not even my house, why should I care?’
With that thought of evasion, Rockefeller turned a blind eye to the dirty house and spoke to his two younger siblings inside.
